


A Bridge Called Perseverance

by hannahsoapy



Category: Frozen (2013), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-12 21:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15349098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannahsoapy/pseuds/hannahsoapy
Summary: Jack's in Arendelle when he hears the tale of the Snow Queen, but who is she, really? How much of the stories are true? Jelsa, of course. Non-Pitch villain, but the rest of the Guardians cast makes an appearance!





	1. The Icicle Gems of the North

**Author's Note:**

> A plot bunny jumped on me while I was bored at work, and I ended up scribbling this on a blank page in a notebook. This is a Jelsa, but I'm using the Snow Queen from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale as a large part of the inspiration for this story. My beta (the best sister in the world) said it's her favorite of everything I've asked her to read so far, so I hope you all enjoy, as well.
> 
> Also, this is already posted in its entirety on ff.net if you want to binge read it. I have the same username over there, too. I'll be steadily uploading it here over the next couple days, though :)

There was a bridge in the kingdom of Arendelle made completely of ice. It was very high above the capital, almost at the peak of the North Mountain; it crossed the chasm that separated the peak from the rest of the ridge.

Somehow, Jack had never noticed it. Perhaps because nobody lived up there, and he was usually causing a ruckus somewhere. But one day he was flying northwards-on his way to bug Santa, actually-and he saw it, glimmering, out of the corner of his eye.

"Woah," he said in awe, alighting on the steps.

It was incredible. It had to have been carved out of one piece of ice; there were no places where it looked like separate pieces had been joined together. The attention to detail was remarkable, as well. Snowflake patterns were etched all along the handrails and steps. Jack was truly impressed.

His plans quickly changed from bothering North to finding out what was up with the bridge, and he headed back down towards Arendelle. He landed in the main courtyard of the royal palace. He wasn't sure exactly where to start, but there must be someone who could tell him.

Luckily, it happened to be Saturday. Good things always happened on Saturdays.

As it turned out, the royal palace of Arendelle was open for tours on Saturdays, and as Jack stood in the courtyard wondering where in the world to begin, he overheard a curious child's voice ask, "What about the Snow Queen?"

Snow Queen? That sounded promising.

Jack promptly flew over to where a group of tourists were gathered in front of a tour guide, and carefully wormed his way up to the little girl who had asked the question. The tour guide wasn't fazed at all by her question.

"Yes, one of Arendelle's queens was the Snow Queen, who had one of the shortest reigns of any Arendelle monarch. She ruled for only a matter of months, the winter season, and when she died, leaving the throne to her sister, spring came, giving her the moniker of Snedronningen."

"That's depressing," Jack muttered to himself.

The little girl next to him, who'd asked the question, was looking at him with an open mouth. She had short black hair, mostly covered by a multicolored, handmade beanie, and it appeared she'd dressed herself, because she wore patched overalls, and a red flannel. Jack liked her.

"Better close that," he teased. She didn't budge. Jack wiggled a finger at her, and a snowflake drifted in her mouth and landed on her tongue. She jumped, and then giggled.

"You're Jack Frost," she whispered.

"Yes, I am," he whispered dramatically back. "What's your name?"

"Cecilie. I'm ten."

"Really? I thought you were twelve."

She smiled proudly at his assessment.

"Why did you ask about the Snow Queen?"

"Oh, she's my favorite fairy tale!" Cecilie said, jumping a little in her excitement. They were moving now, following the tour guide inside the palace. "There's one story where her tears make flowers."

"Her tears? Why is she crying?"

"Because she's lonely," Cecilie said sadly. "She has a big empty ice castle because the trolls threw her friends off the mountain."

And he'd thought it was depressing already. Yikes. He decided, since the tour guide seemed to know her stuff, to find out if she knew anything about the bridge. He nudged Cecilie.

"Hey, could you ask the tour guide about the ice bridge?"

"Of course!" Cecilie grinned at him. She waved her hand in the air enthusiastically to get the guide's attention.

"Yes, you have another question?"

"What about the ice bridge?" Cecilia chirped innocently.

"Ah," the tour guide said mysteriously. "That bridge is called Udholdenhed. Legend has it that the snow queen's palace used to be upon the North Mountain, and that bridge is all that is left of it. On a sunny day, like today, you can see it sparkle even from down here."

"Wow," Cecilie breathed. "The ice palace…"

Now Jack was even more curious. If the Snow Queen was a fairy tale, like him, could she be real too? He was real, after all. Maybe her ice palace was still up there, hidden away.

"Cecilie," he said, and she turned to him eagerly. "You need to tell me everything you know about the Snow Queen."


	2. Velvet Robes of Stainless White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Snow Queen makes her appearance!

Two hours later, after they finished the palace tour, Jack and Cecilie were holed up in her room.

"Okay," she said, pulling some books out. "There are two stories about her." She flipped to a marked page in the first book.

She read them aloud to him. Jack thought it was a very strange story. A troll made a mirror that broke, the snow queen kidnapped a little boy, the boy's girlfriend went after him and met all sorts of odd people, and then she found the boy in the snow queen's palace when she wasn't home? The other one was shorter, but just as odd. Some more trolls threw the Snow Queen's suitors off of cliffs to their deaths. What was up with the trolls, anyway?

"What did you think?" Cecilie asked him.

"Weird."

Cecilie giggled. "No it's not. It's a fairy tale. They're all like that."

"Humph. Still weird."

No doubt in his mind now, he had to find out if the Snow Queen was up there. Jack hopped up on the window-sill, preparing to leave.

"Can I come with you?" Cecilie pleaded with him. "I wanna meet the Snow Queen!" Jack considered it for a second, but he had no idea what he was going into, here.

"Sorry, kid," Jack booped her nose. "Maybe after I meet her first and make sure she's nice."

And with that, he leapt out the window, catching a breeze upwards to the mountain.

* * *

 

Jack was sure he was missing something.

The ice palace was supposed to be on the North Mountain; he assumed near the bridge.

But he'd flown circles all around that peak, and couldn't find a single spire or turret. He sighed as he perched himself on the handrail of the ice bridge. He'd been so sure that the Snow Queen was real, but maybe she wasn't. He swung his legs in dejection.

An idea suddenly formed in his head. He jumped up, balancing himself perfectly on the icy railing with his bare feet.

"Hey, Snow Queen!" He shouted, facing the peak. "Real nice bridge you got out here!"

In response, the already quiet mountaintop became eerily silent. Some snow shifted off the bank, cascading downwards softly, and Jack watched it carefully. It gathered itself in front of him, whirling upwards in a tiny blizzard, and then fell, revealing the Snow Queen.

The picture in Cecilie's book had shown a woman in all white, covered in a huge white fur coat, and wearing an enormous icy crown. The Snow Queen was nothing like that. Her dress shimmered palest blue, and her cloak, falling gently around her bare, pale arms, looked as if it had been made of snowflakes all strung together somehow. Which, Jack supposed, as this was the Snow Queen, was entirely possible. She did wear a crown, but it was small, and sat delicately in her loose white hair. She was the most beautiful woman Jack had ever seen.

Until she opened her eyes. Jack was the Winter Spirit; he wasn't supposed to feel cold. Her eyes, a sharp, electric blue, should not have made him shiver.

"Who are you?" She demanded. Her voice was like diamond dust. Jack shivered again.

"I'm Jack Frost," he said. Those frozen wintry orbs looked back at him, unyielding.

"The Winter Spirit?" Jack tried again. The Snow Queen frowned up at him.

"I do not know these names," she said. "Why are you here?"

He supposed it was fair if she didn't know who he was. He hadn't ever heard of her before, after all.

"Just wanted to say hi," Jack said casually. "I was in the area, heard about you."

The Snow Queen remained unmoved. She made a small gesture with her hand, and a flurry of snow quickly swept around him, and then settled back down on the ground. She shook her head with finality.

"Leave."

"Aw, don't be like that," Jack pleaded. "Don't you want a friend?"

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because her exquisite face hardened, and with a sweep of her arm, Jack found himself being swept off the mountain. As he fell, he saw her disappear again in a brush of snow.

Jack twirled his staff, flipping mid-air to gain control of the wind. Had she really wanted to kill him, or had she known that he could handle being knocked off an icy mountain? He hoped it was the latter.

The Snow Queen herself was pretty terrifying, but just before he was knocked off the mountain, right after he asked her about wanting a friend, he'd thought she looked sad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Diamond dust' refers to clouds of teensy tiny ice particles-they usually only happen in Antarctica, or similarly cold places.


	3. Smoother and Purer Than Beauty's Brow

He floated downwards, back towards Arendelle. Cecilie was most likely with her parents; she was here with them on vacation, after all, so he started a huge snowball fight in the main city square.

It lasted four and a half hours, a respectable amount of time for a snowball fight, although the players had been constantly changing.

Jack had once orchestrated a snowball fight that had lasted two and a half days. It was perhaps more like a snowball battle, because he'd started it as a brilliant solution to a dispute that two warring tribes were having. Jack didn't actually know what they had been fighting about, but by the time the snowball battle was over, neither side had cared much about it, either, and they'd happily negotiated peace.

And some people thought all he did was cause trouble. Ha. Take that, Bunny.

At any rate, the people of Arendelle really did know their way around snow. It was quickly becoming one of Jack's favorite places. It also helped that there was an unusual number of children (and a couple adults!) here that believed in him, and could see him.

It was a rollicking good time, but when the sun set, Jack knew it was time for all good little boys and girls to be inside where it was warm. It technically wasn't winter, but it was still below freezing.

He stopped throwing his magicked snowballs, and let the fight fizzle out slowly on its own, watching as the last children ran off home to mugs of hot chocolate.

A gentle snowfall started as he perched on a chimney-top on a roof, and Jack caught a snowflake on his fingertip, admiring its pattern. He'd seen a gazillion snowflakes, and he still found every one fascinating.

Something glinted past that was neither snow nor ice. Jack's attention was immediately caught. It had almost looked like ice, but Jack knew ice didn't float like that. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Looking at it had given him a sick, ominous feeling in his gut.

He followed it. The shiny thing, for lack of a better name, didn't seem to have any purpose, although it was avoiding all the buildings, unlike the snow coming down around it, which was suspicious.

It was getting close to the house Cecilie was staying in. Jack wasn't sure why, but it made him very nervous. He tried to catch up to it, suddenly feeling panicked, but he couldn't seem to get any closer to it.

He could actually see Cecilie now, sitting snuggled in blankets on her bed, through her partially cracked bedroom window-why was her window open?!

The shiny thing floated in through the gap, and Jack called out to warn her.

"Cecilie!" She looked up, but she didn't see the shiny thing, only Jack. She smiled at him, and started to ask, eagerly, "Did you see the Snow Queen? What was- "

The shiny thing hit her. It disappeared, right into her chest, and Cecilie gave a shallow little gasp.

"Cecilie! Cecilie? Are you okay?" Jack rushed into her room, flinging the window wide open. He grasped her shoulders carefully.

She looked at him, and her eyes were glassy and hard. She pushed his hands away angrily.

"Go away!" She shouted. "You went to see the Snow Queen without me and I hate you!"

Jack was completely bewildered. What was going on? This wasn't the little girl that had read him her favorite fairy tales.

When he didn't leave right away, Cecilie glared, picking up her book and throwing it at him. He caught it with his stomach, grunting, and decided it would be safer to contemplate this somewhere else.

He ended up on the roof, just above her window. An hour later, he still wasn't sure what to do. Go get North? Jack didn't really think that Santa would know what to do, but he wanted someone to talk to. He had a horrible suspicion that Cecilie had been struck by a mirror shard, like the one from the fairy tale. It was evident to Jack that there was at least a little truth in that story.

He could hear Cecilie below, screaming something at her parents. No, something was definitely not right.

Reluctantly making up his mind, Jack stood, poised to throw himself off the roof into the wind, when he saw a bee. He stopped so quickly that he almost fell.

There shouldn't be bees out; it was way too cold. But it was a rather odd bee. It was white, and as it approached Jack's disbelieving eyes, he realized it was literally made of snow.

"A snow… bee?" He whispered to himself incredulously. The bee paused for a moment, and Jack swore it looked right at him.

Then it zipped into Cecilie's room.

Since he was wary of entering Cecilie's room, given what had already happened tonight, Jack lay down on the roof so that he could peer into the room upside-down.

The bee had landed on Cecilie's nose. She was sitting very still, not even blinking.

"Did the Snow Queen send you?" She breathed to the bee. "You're beautiful." At her words, the bee lifted off and started to fly away. Cecilie followed it to her window.

"Don't go!" she cried. "You're the prettiest thing I've ever seen!"

The bee, of course, did not heed her, and flew on.

Maybe, he needed to try to talk to the Snow Queen again.


	4. The Delicate Carpet So Richly Spread

The following night, Jack was on Cecilie's roof once again. He'd spent most of the day watching her. She had been mean and out of character all day; making fun of all her friends, rude to her parents, and generally unpleasant to everybody. Jack had gone up the North Mountain again, to try and find the Snow Queen, but she hadn't responded to his repeated pleas. He hoped she just hadn't been home.

Jack slumped morosely against the eaves. Some Guardian he was. He couldn't even figure out a way to talk to other spirits. He gazed vacantly at the occasional snowflakes drifting by, trying to find something that could lift his mood.

As if it had heard his prayers, Jack spotted another snow bee. Well, it could have been the same one; there was no way of knowing. The bee looked like it was headed to Cecilie's window again, a dusting of snow trailing behind it so precisely that it could only be the Snow Queen. He didn't think there was anyone else that could travel via snow flurry, anyway.

Jack watched in eager anticipation as it came closer. The bee alighted on the edge of the windowsill, and the snow gathered together above it, the Snow Queen coalescing out of it.

"Hey!" Jack called. "Are you here to help Cecilie?"

The Snow Queen spared him the barest glance of acknowledgement, and her sharp beauty froze him momentarily. She entered Cecilie's room, out of his sight. Jack followed, apprehensive of her intentions.

She was bent over Cecilie's sleeping form, but straightened to meet Jack's eyes as he landed beside the bed.

"She has been struck by the mirror," the Snow Queen said, but it wasn't shivery like before. Her voice still tinkled like icicles, but somehow it sounded warm and happy now, and as she regarded him, her gaze was lighter. She was everything opposite of what she had been before. Jack felt his throat tighten, but with what emotion, he couldn't tell.

"Can you fix her?" He choked out.

"You love her," the Snow Queen said softly, her tone hesitant, and hopeful. Her blue eyes shimmered. Jack was pretty sure it had been a question.

"Yes," he said earnestly, gripping his staff tightly. "I love all children; I'm their Guardian of Fun."

She smiled; her entire expression softened, and she nodded. "It is enough."

Jack wanted to ask what that meant, but the Snow Queen closed her eyes, and raised her hands over Cecilie as she finished speaking, and it felt wrong to interrupt.

White, ghosting tendrils extended from her hands, connecting themselves to Cecilie and Jack, entwining them both in shimmering magic. It felt nice, like the soft brushings of down feathers. It didn't linger, and gathered around Cecilie, centered around her chest. He saw the glinting mirror shard rise, turning slowly.

The Snow Queen let out a soft breath, and brought her hands down to gently cup the shard, still surrounded by the cloud of magic, and pulled it closer to her own chest.

"What are you doing?" Jack cried out in horror. He wanted to reach out and stop her, but was trapped by his uncertainty, and the breathtaking aura surrounding her.

Her eyes flashed open, and he saw that she was barely holding back tears.

"Jack…" she gasped, and it was evident from her voice that she was in pain. "The mirror is… hate. It will… ," she took a heavy breath, "… attack unless I gather them all."

"What-so there are more pieces still?"

"Not many," she breathed. "Perhaps only a few."

And while Jack watched, she guided the shard into her own chest, where it slowly sunk in and disappeared from his sight. The Snow Queen shuddered, and her soft eyes turned flinty and cold again as she vanished in her cloud of snow without a word.

Jack stared out the window at the snow, until he felt a tug on the sleeve of his hoodie. Cecilie was looking up at him.

"That was the Snow Queen," her voice trembled. Jack let out a sigh of relief. At least she seemed to be back to normal. He wasn't sure when she'd woken up, but it was clear she'd heard their last exchange.

"Yes, it was."

"I think she needs help, Jack."

He knelt down and hugged her.

"I think she does, too."


	5. In Feathery Wreaths the Forest is Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of things can happen in dreams.

Jack flew northwards on the swiftest wind he could summon. He didn't know the whole deal with the mirror, but it didn't seem like Snow Queen was actually getting rid of the shards. She was just collecting them, and they were turning her cold and unfeeling.

Problem was, Jack had no idea how to fight a mirror. Especially if it was inside someone. Hence, why he was finally going to visit Santa.

The flight to the North Pole seemed at once too long and too short. The yetis let him in, grumbling the whole time, and Jack found North in his workshop, working on something so tiny that he had affixed giant binocular spectacles to his face in order to see it.

Jack waited, crouched on top of his staff, and cleared his throat as soon as it looked like startling him wouldn't damage whatever he was working on so precisely.

"Jack, m'boy!" North rumbled affectionately, pushing the glasses up on his head. "How are ya?"

"Ah, good, I guess… Look, North, have you heard of the Snow Queen?"

"Hmmmm… Yes. Her power is very much like yours, I think, but I have never met her. Why the curiosity, Jack?"

"Oh, I was just in Arendelle, saw the ice bridge and stuff."

North chuckled at him. "Well, I wouldn't go looking for her, Jack. I hear her heart is frozen through. She'd probably throw you off her mountain."

He chuckled again at his joke. Jack laughed weakly.

"About that… she actually did. The first time we met, anyway."

North gaped at him. "The first time?!"

"Yeah, that's the tricky bit," Jack grimaced. "When I met her the first time, she was just like you said. Second time, she was totally different, she was…" he trailed off, at a loss for the right adjective. "Well, she was removing a shard of an evil mirror from a little girl."

Jack explained the whole encounter to North, who sat quietly contemplating for a minute.

"This is not good, Jack," North shook his head. "From what I had heard before, the mirror was destroyed when the Snow Queen became herself. If the broken pieces have been causing trouble this whole time… not good."

"But that's the problem-I don't think she knows how to really get rid of them."

"My best guess, Jack, is that her center is the key. As far as I know, the mirror was made to target her, and she will be the only one able to truly destroy it."

"That's all you've got?! 'Her center is the key'?" Jack snorted in disbelief. "Could you give me anything more ambiguous to work with?"

"I am sorry," North said, with his big sad puppy eyes.

Jack drooped his head. "So I can't do anything."

"No, Jack!" North boomed reassuringly. "You must help her! I have not heard of anyone seeing the Snow Queen for many, many years, and never more than once. She must have allowed it, and that is promising. If you need the help of the Guardians as well, however," and he tossed Jack a portal orb, "We will be there right away."

* * *

That night, Jack dreamed. He didn't normally dream, so that was unusual, but he also didn't normally sleep, so he didn't have a whole lot to go off of there.

He dreamt he was in a huge ice palace, standing in a wide atrium, at the top of which hung an enormous ice chandelier. A long, elegant staircase wrapped around the wall of the room. He turned about in awe, admiring the etchings in the ice all around him. They were very similar to the ones on the ice bridge, and Jack imagined that if he ever found the Snow Queen palace, it would look something like this.

Just as he thought it, the door at the top of the staircase swung open. The Snow Queen emerged. She didn't see him right away, as she looked around, and the silence seemed too sacred to break.

Jack couldn't tell if she was her frozen or thawed self by her expression, but he didn't have to wait long. Very soon, she saw him, and smiled immediately. Her smile was dazzling; it was the sun sparkling off of fields of untouched white. Jack lost the ability to breathe.

"Jack," she said gently, like the caress of a snowflake. He found his voice in time to reply, but not his brain.

"How did you get in my dream?" He asked, realizing as he said it that he sounded absurd. The Snow Queen laughed, and he felt his nervousness melt away.

"I thought it was my dream," she said, beginning to descend the staircase. "Since we are in my palace. But perhaps it is our dream."

Jack nodded in agreement; that did make sense.

"Wait, this really is your ice palace? It's incredible!"

"Thank you," she graced him with a small smile. She had reached the bottom of the stairs, and moved to his side. Jack felt her presence as a thrumming in his veins.

"I built it a long time ago, when I was still living," the Snow Queen was saying.

"You had your powers when you were mortal?" Jack was astonished. He'd never heard of anything like it.

"For all the good it did me then," she murmured, with a sad twist of her lips that told Jack there was a story there, but not one he should ask about. Not right now.

"How d'you suppose we ended up in the same dream, then?"

"I have a guess," she said, gliding across the floor away from him. She peered upwards, moving her head around.

"Ah, yes!" she exclaimed, beckoning to Jack. He was at her side instantly. She gestured where she wanted him to look. High up on the wall, a row of thin windows allowed a glimpse of the night sky. Through the one the Snow Queen had pointed out, Jack could see the nearly full moon.

"Mannie!" Jack grinned.

"Mannie?" The Snow Queen asked curiously.

"Oh, it's just, sorta, our nickname for the Man in the Moon. The Guardians, I mean. Because it's such a mouthful, y'know, his name." Jack explained awkwardly, not understanding how he could be so tongue tied all of a sudden.

The Snow Queen seemed to find it funny, though, because she was giggling. At what, he wasn't sure, but he didn't really care.

"Do you have a name?" He blurted. "I mean, other than Snow Queen?"

She looked at him strangely. "Of course I do."

"No! I just meant-well, like the Tooth Fairy we just call Tooth, and the Sandman is Sandy, and the Easter Bunny has a real name, but he just goes with Bunny. I just thought, since you were, um, since you died like me, you'd have a name…"

"It's Elsa," Elsa smiled.

"Elsa."

"Yes."

They smiled at each other, finding equal delight in one another's eyes. As they stood, however, mesmerized, the dream began to fade.

They perceived it at the same time, but it was already too late. Jack could see her mouthing his name, reaching towards him, just as he was reaching towards her, as if by clasping hands, they could make the dream last forever.

He jolted awake on an icy tree branch, just as the horizon obscured the last gleaming sliver of the moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be back to post more soon, I promise :)


	6. Hills With Glittering Diadems Crowned

Jack didn't know what to do with himself the next day. It was a novel problem for him. Usually he found himself constantly occupied with spreading fun. Today, he was distracting himself with it.

Elsa was everywhere in his head. Everywhere he looked - every icicle, every snowdrift - reminded him of her hair, the glow of her cheeks, her smile, her lips-

Jack stopped that thought before it got too far. He still didn't know how to help Elsa, and it was making him restless. He knew the full moon would last two more nights, and he was anxious for night to fall. He'd amused himself so far by causing a cold front across almost all of North America. Bunny couldn't complain; it was after Easter. By late afternoon, having run out of things to do, he was back in Arendelle. Sitting atop an empty fountain, Jack lost himself in daydreams.

"Jack!" He nearly fell off the fountain, just barely catching himself with his staff in time. Cecilie was looking up at him anxiously.

"Hey, Cecilie," he said, feeling suddenly cheerful. She stood, twisting her foot on the ground restlessly, opened her mouth, paused, and then said, all in a rush, "Did you see the Snow Queen again?"

Jack was fairly certain that wasn't what she really wanted to ask, especially since she still looked nervous. He answered patiently.

"Sorta. We had a dream together."

"A dream?"

"Yeah. We talked for a little while, but time is always funny in dreams."

"Oh," Cecilie said, taking a deep breath. "I did a lot of bad things, didn't I? I yelled at you, and threw stuff, and was super mean, and-"

"Hey!" Jack said, leaping in front of her and bending down to look her in the eyes. "No, you weren't very nice, but it wasn't your fault. Don't worry about it, okay?"

He steadily held her tear-filled eyes with his reassuring ones until she gulped and gave him a nod and a watery smile.

He beamed at her. "Wanna build a snowman?"

* * *

Jack made sure he picked a comfy snowdrift to fall asleep in when the moon rose that night. He awoke in a dream, lying on a forest floor, staring up at snow-covered trees. Jumping up, he saw that the trees bordered a familiar frozen pond.

Elsa stood in the center of it, calling his name. It gave him a shiver of deja-vu as unwanted memories attempted to resurface.

He slid out onto the ice, stopping in front of her, and performed an elaborate bow.

"At your service, Your Highness!" He proclaimed, grinning as he swept back up. She smiled, but this faded quickly, and her expression became serious.

"Jack, we may not have much time," she urged. "I must tell you how I became… this."

"The Snow Queen, you mean?" He wiggled his fingers in imitation of her snowy powers.

"Yes." Elsa paused to gather herself. "When I first took the throne, my advisors wanted me to marry quickly. I did not wish to, but a certain… incident which had occurred on my coronation day had drawn much attention to Arendelle, and to myself. Many men, royalty and otherwise, came to court me. It was overwhelming. Finally, I told them that in order to court me they must first pass a test, hoping that this would scare some of them away. One man a day could present himself to me in my ice palace, and if he could impress me, I would give him permission to stay. If not, he must leave immediately."

"Huh," Jack said, ruffling his hair. "I guess that didn't go well, then?"

"On the contrary," she brightened a little. "It worked quite well, for a while. I was able to send them all away, except for one."

"What did he say to impress you?" Jack tried to sound less interested in the answer than he felt, but by the gleam in Elsa's eyes, he hadn't succeeded.

"Nothing at all. He stood there, and did not speak a word. He was nervous, I think, but I liked his manner, and so I let him stay." She smiled fondly in remembrance.

Jack thought perhaps he'd try that, and said nothing.

"Then one day, when the weather was beginning to warm, a man came that professed the usual false sentiments and feelings that I had heard from dozens before him. When I told him that he must leave, he grew angry, and revealed himself to be an evil demon called Troldin. I had offended him by refusing his suit, and he brandished a giant mirror, declaring me unworthy of feeling love for anything. The silent man jumped in front of the mirror, and began to battle Troldin for it. In the struggle, the mirror slipped from both of their hands, and it smashed on the floor, the pieces scattering in all directions, and hitting many. My own sister pushed me out of harm's way, taking a shard in the chest."

Elsa stopped to brush a tear from her cheek. Jack stepped closer to her, and brushed her hand consolingly. She grabbed his fingers before they dropped away, grasping them lightly. Her voice trembled a little as she continued.

"Troldin laughed, then, and said that it had turned out better than he had ever imagined. I looked around, and everyone struck with the mirror shards had turned cold and cruel, and hated everything; even my own sister was not immune. I wished with all my heart that I could be cursed myself, instead of watching them become what they were not. The moon had risen early, and it caught my attention as I wished, and it seemed to become bigger, and bigger, and then I felt myself drawing every shard from the heart of each person I loved, until I felt no more."

"That's… wow." He said, eloquently. She sighed.

"I have searched for the rest of the mirror for a long time, and each piece is more difficult to draw out. I must have someone near that cares for the person struck, else the shard will not come loose."

"Sounds tricky," Jack mused, "when they are always driving people away from themselves."

"Indeed," Elsa agreed. "And each one makes me colder. It is nice here, though. It appears the mirror has no effect in dreams. Do you know where we are?"

"This is where I died," Jack dispiritedly remarked. "Saving my sister from an icy death."

"Oh, Jack," she murmured, bring her other hand to rest on the shoulder of the same hand she held. "One more thing we have in common."

"This one I think we both wish we didn't," he said ruefully. He glanced at her from beneath his silvery mop, capturing her soft eyes.

"Jack," she whispered. "Before the dream ends, this time, I-I wanted to say…" She licked her lips apprehensively.

"What?" he whispered back, impulsively drawing closer. Elsa didn't respond, eyes flickering across his face, and then she surged forward, capturing his lips. Jack was only caught by surprise for a moment before he recovered, and kissed her readily in return.

The dream ended as they pulled back to take a breath, but the last thing Jack saw was Elsa's brilliant smile.


	7. The Fairest Scene We Can Have Below

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the last dream, guys :(

"There is only one more."

"You're-you're sure?" Jack stumbled through his words. Elsa only nodded into his shoulder in response.

It was the last night of the full moon, and they were dreaming on the ice bridge. The moon was bright in the clear, deep, blue sky, and the snow and ice glowed with its light. It had been Jack's turn to enter the dream first. He'd been scatterbrained all day, daydreaming about the kiss they'd shared the night before. It was a miracle that he hadn't created a snowstorm in the Sahara, he'd been so preoccupied with all the feeling bouncing around in his chest. He sat near the top of the steps to cool his heels, reclining back against the slope the stairs made.

He hadn't long to wait; Elsa appeared in a rustle of snow on the top step soon after. He let his head fall back to look at her upside down, idly wondering what he looked like when he came into a dream.

She looked weary, and drained. Her appearance was impeccable as always, but her sparkle was dimmed. She met his eyes somberly, and stepped down to sit next to him, her shimmering cloak spreading out on the steps behind them. Jack sat up straight, expecting her to say something, but Elsa merely dropped her head on his shoulder. Her soft hair brushed his neck comfortingly, and Jack would have been happy to sit like that in perpetuity.

" _There is only one more."_

Now, he had to fight down the wave of panic that threatened to wash over him at Elsa's foreboding words. Eventually, of course, he'd known that all the pieces of the mirror would be found. Only, Jack had thought that there would be more time. And perhaps there would have been, but Elsa had been searching them out for centuries.

The odd sensation of dampness caused him to look down, and he realized Elsa was silently crying, her tears soaking into his sweater.

For all his experience with crying children, he was at a loss now. Jack couldn't just throw one of his Snowballs of Fun at Elsa and make it all better. He wasn't sure if that would work in a dream, anyway.

He carefully lifted an arm to hug her, wrapping it around her waist. She leaned into him a little more, so he knew he'd done something right.

"Elsa, what is it?" He asked gently.

"What have I become, Jack?" Her voice rang sweetly through her tears. "I am not who I remember being, except in these dreams. I have been cold, for a long time, and I am afraid of what the last shard of mirror will do to me."

She didn't look up at him, keeping her head buried in his soft blue sweater.

"North says," Jack attempted through the lump in his throat. "North says you have to trust your center."

"My what?" Elsa looked up at him, confused.

"Your center," Jack repeated. "You know, the thing that makes you, you. Mine's fun."

Elsa shook her head slowly in despair, and dropped her forehead onto his shoulder again. "I don't know, Jack. I don't know."

"It's okay," Jack tried his best to reassure her. "You'll-we'll-figure it out." Elsa sighed with a shudder, her cool breath creating more frost patterns on his sweater.

"Did you know this bridge has a name?" Jack asked after a moment, trying to find something lighter to talk about. It caused a startled laugh to burst out of Elsa. Jack congratulated himself for it.

"They named my bridge? How strange."

"Yeah, it sounded weird. Oo-holt-n-hilt, or something, I think?"

"Udholdenhed," Elsa corrected, giggling at his mispronunciation. She picked her head up, looking at the bridge as if she was just seeing it.

"Does it mean anything?" Jack asked, curiously. He could understand people when they spoke any language; perks of being the spirit of winter, he guessed, but there were some things that wouldn't translate, like names of things.

Elsa stood, and held her hand down for Jack. He grabbed it, and stood with her. Her eyes were brimming with hope as she turned her gaze upwards to the moon.

"It means perseverance."

They felt their resolve rise, undaunted, and the moon's light suffused them, even as the dream slipped away.

* * *

Elsewhere, the moon did not shine so brightly - or, indeed, at all.

In a dim cavern, deep below the earth, lived Troldin. He had been called many things - demon, goblin, troll - but it mattered not what you called him; he embodied them all. Troldin had gathered around him other spiteful creatures like himself, but of all those who lived to spread hate, he was the greatest.

They were seated around him like school children round their teacher at story-time, their grotesque laughter filling the dank space. The only illumination was the bubbling lava creeping up the edges of the wide cave.

"My dear pupils!" Troldin called out for their attention. "Many years ago, I believed my greatest accomplishment to be complete - the mirror, which all delighted in looking into." His audience cackled in agreement. "Then, in a fortuitous turn of events, it broke, and the power of the mirror enlightened many. But the Snow Queen-"

Here he was interrupted by hissing, and many more sickening noises of disapproval. He waited for their ire to subside.

"The Snow Queen began removing the shards from all whom it had blessed. Now, my disciples of detestation, because nothing can destroy our instrument of hate, the mirror is almost reassembled within her." Troldin's voice lowered to a dramatic hush, and the crowd of minions grew quiet.

"The mirror will turn the Snow Queen to our purposes, and she herself will spread hate, across the whole world!"

Their celebration went unnoticed, far below the earth, but the sound of their deafening cheers and delight was hideous, and would have made any normal person cringe. The world spun on in blissful oblivion.


	8. Welcome, Then, to the Drifting Snow

Jack rushed into North's workshop on a stiff winter wind, the sun just risen, golden streaks on fresh white canvas. The Yetis barely opened the doors in time for him to swoop inside, yelling something incomprehensible at him that he brushed off in his hurry.

He dropped the breeze, and did a tumble across the floor, leaping up to see where North was. The workshop was deserted. Now he realized what the Yetis had been trying to tell him. North wasn't in at the moment. Jack slumped over the crook of his staff in disappointment. It looked like he'd have to wait.

A golden coil of sand poked his nose, and Jack turned in surprise to find Sandy greeting him from a giant, comfy chair in the corner, sipping hot cocoa.

"Sandy!" Jack said, happy to see him. "Are you waiting on North, too?"

Sandy made an expression that signified something along the lines of 'not really', and meaningfully indicated his gigantic mug of cocoa, and the cookies on the table in front of him.

"You're only here for the treats!" Jack laughed. "Well, I can't blame you, they are the best!"

Sandy had a big question mark above his head now.

"Why am I here?" Jack confirmed. Sandy nodded.

Jack had always felt like Sandy was the easiest person to talk to. Whatever problems he had, Sandy was a calming, comforting presence that always listened. So, he started to tell Sandy everything, but when he got to the second dream, the one where he'd kissed Elsa, Jack hesitated. It was all very new, and he'd never had _feelings_ like this, and-

Sandy poked him again, urging him to continue. Jack opened his mouth to do so, but stopped when he saw the image Sandy had made with his sand. It was himself and Elsa, slowly drawing closer, into a chaste kiss.

"You-you already knew!" Jack accused. Sandy looked guilty, and he made a sand-image of himself sending dreams to them both.

"Did you make the dreams?" Jack said brokenly, feeling like his heart was cracking. "Was none of it real?"

Sandy was holding out his hands, shaking them frantically to get Jack's attention. Above his earlier image he made a moon, that reached out and took Jack and Elsa's dream threads and tangled and twisted them together.

"So it _was_ Mannie?" Sandy nodded eagerly. "How'd he do that?" Sandy scratched his head and shrugged. "And they _were_ real?" Rapid nodding. Jack finally relaxed again.

"If you already saw everything in our dreams, why'd you want me to tell you?"

Sandy fidgeted for a few seconds, and then wiped out all his previous sand images and sheepishly made one little heart. Jack smacked his forehead on his staff.

"Sandy, you are such a cheeseball."

Sandy looked at him expectantly, waving the heart around.

"I, uh," he stammered, blushing. "I don't-I mean, um-I like her, a lot, and- "

And the rest of the Guardians unexpectedly burst into the workshop. Bunny was polishing his boomerang, and merely nodded at him in acknowledgement.

"Jack! Sandy! Wait, what's this?" Tooth had spotted the heart, and Jack's red face. "Ooooh, Jack! Do you have a sweetheart? Who is she?"

Sandy helpfully displayed Jack and Elsa kissing. Tooth squealed, and fluttered over excitedly, Baby Tooth zipping around with equal enthusiasm. "And you've already kissed! When do we get to meet her?"

"Not sure if it counts if we kissed in a dream," Jack mumbled, even redder now. He pulled up his hoodie, unsuccessfully trying to hide his face.

"Don't be silly, Jack, of course it does. Now who is it? I know it's not Vanish, she would have told me. Katherine?"

"I-no-we're friends," Jack said awkwardly, wondering where she'd got that idea from.

"Is this about the Snow Queen again, Jack?" North boomed as he, too, strode into his workshop, having missed Tooth's exclamations.

"What!?" Said Bunny. "The Snow Queen?!"

"The Snow Queen!" Tooth proclaimed triumphantly.

"Just what I need," Bunny said grumpily. "The two people who love ruining my holiday, together."

"What did I miss?" North said, confused, until he saw the sand-image that Sandy hadn't dispersed yet. "Ohoho, Jack!"

"Guys, stop," Jack whined, embarrassed.

"But how did you even get her to talk to you?" Tooth asked. "She's a little, um…"

"Cold?" Bunny suggested helpfully. Jack sighed, and explained, again, about the mirror, and the dreams.

"…and last night… last night she said there's only one more mirror piece, and she doesn't know what her center is!"

There was a stunned silence from the Guardians when he'd finished, except Sandy, who knew it all already.

"What's her name?"

"Um, Elsa," Jack said, caught off guard by Tooth's question.

"Elsa… Elsa what?"

"… of Arendelle?" Jack said uncertainly. "I'm not sure, she was the Queen when she was alive, if that helps?"

Tooth hummed in response, thinking. "I will find her teeth; they may help," she said, fluttering optimistically.

"Good," North said. "Jack, the Snow Queen. You know where she is?"

"No," Jack admitted. "But I saw her last in Arendelle."

"You will start there, then. We must find her, and keep an eye on her. Troldin was very dangerous before, when he had the full mirror. If he gets it back, well, it may be worse than Pitch. We cannot let that happen."

All the Guardians gulped.

Jack watched them disperse apprehensively. Tooth was going to find Elsa's teeth, and send out her fairies to look for her. He and the other Guardians were supposed to do the same, but Jack couldn't help his feeling of trepidation. The others were prepared to fight, like they had done against Pitch, but this wasn't the same. He didn't want to fight Elsa; he wanted to save her.

He didn't how to, though, and now he was afraid no one did.


	9. See The Flakes Go Dancing By

Jack had just reached Arendelle when he saw a small cloud of snow in the distance, heading in the opposite direction. Crossing his fingers, he swung around on a new gust of wind.

He was in luck.

The snow, he could see as he drew closer, was being kicked up by a snow-reindeer pulling a little sledge. It was creating little paths of snow beneath its feet that allowed the sledge to glide smoothly behind it. A snow-bee flew out in front of the reindeer, and Elsa was seated in the sledge. Jack pulled even to her, and waved. Elsa glanced at him dispassionately, and turned away to watch her snow-creatures.

"Hey, Elsa!" Jack tried again.

"What is the meaning of this?" Elsa asked coldly.

"Um, I'm just being friendly, ya know, we're… friends? Remember the dreams?"

"They are of no import to me."

"Oh," Jack said quietly. This was the Snow Queen, he had to remind himself, not Elsa.

He'd drifted back a little, and put on a surge to catch up again.

The Snow Queen didn't seem to mind him trailing along beside her, and after a few minutes, it became apparent why she wasn't traveling as a snow flurry. They were traveling southwards, and it was getting a lot warmer. Gaining a little altitude, Jack looked into the distance.

The ocean was directly in front of them, and approaching fast. Jack looked down at the little sledge in alarm. The Snow Queen must know what she was doing, right?

The snow-reindeer's feet met the water, and turned it into a thick, icy path. The sledge followed easily. Jack huffed out a breath in relief, and looking behind him, saw the ice trail disappearing almost as quickly as it had been made.

They picked up speed crossing the ocean, and soon Jack could see the coastline. Racing onto land, he realized the scenery was becoming very familiar.

Burgess.

And like a bad dream, where everything you were afraid of happening, happened, the sledge came to a halt outside Jaime's house.

Jack, already in the air, zipped into Jaime's room.

"Jaime!" he cried, landing crouched on the bedpost. Jaime was sitting backwards in his desk chair, and looking completely normal.

"Yeah, Jack?" Jaime asked, looking a little confused, but very happy to see him.

"You don't, uh, you don't feel upset about anything?"

"Noooooo…"

"How do you feel about snowball fights?"

"They're great! Are we gonna have one?"

"Not right now," Jack said. "Jaime, is anyone else here?"

"Oh, just Sophie. I'm supposed to be watching her, but she slammed her door in my face. I think the 'terrible twos' became the 'terrible threes'." He paused. "Why, is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Jack admitted. "C'mon, quick!"

He raced out of the room and down the hall. Sophie's door was closed, but not locked. Jack burst in, Jaime close behind.

Sophie was gone.

* * *

Elsa could feel the call of the last shard of the mirror. It was in the little girl, but she couldn't get it out. She needed someone else, and no one had been there with her.

This had happened before, a long time ago. Nobody would play with the mean little boy with the mirror shards in his heart and eye, so she took him to her ice palace, and eventually, a little girl did show up who cared for him, and she was able to remove them.

She would do the same with this little girl, and someone would come.

* * *

Jack explained everything to Jaime as they hurtled back across the ocean to Arendelle.

"There's a mirror in my sister making her all cranky?" Jaime gripped Jack's neck tightly.

"Well, just a little piece of a mirror, but, yeah, basically." Jack put as much speed on the wind as he possibly could. She couldn't have gotten that far ahead of them.

The North Mountain was in view in the distance, and he could see a huge snow-cloud around the peak that had to be the Snow-Queen's doing. Then the cloud vanished, and Jack and Jamie's mouths fell open, Jack's breeze slowing them as they approached.

The peak of North Mountain wasn't actually the peak. It was the Ice Palace of the Snow Queen. Hidden under the snowy mountain ice-cap, it was finally revealed. It was truly a masterpiece-if Jack had thought the ice bridge was spectacular, this blew it right off the mountain in a blizzard. Spiraling spires, transparent turrets, ethereal arches, and all of it traced over with delicate etchings of snowflakes that caught the light and glittered like diamonds. In his admiration, Jack forgot for a moment what he was supposed to be doing.

"Look!" cried Jaime. The Snow Queen was walking up the steps to the palace doors, and carrying Sophie.

"Hold on!" Jack said, and he swooped down, diving into the Ice Palace after the Snow Queen, just a moment before the doors shut.

Jack thought quickly, shooting a blast of his own magic, and making a giant pile of snow appear below them. He and Jaime landed in it, scattering the snow everywhere. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jaime was laughing as he picked himself up and shook snow out of everywhere.

"That was fun, Jack!"

"Good to know I haven't lost my touch," Jack smiled.

"Let's go find my sister!" Jaime tugged on his sweater.

"Wait a sec," said Jack, rummaging in his pocket. He pulled out the snow-globe portal and threw it on the ground. North's workshop appeared on the other side, and North appeared, looking curiously out at them.

"I found her, she's on North Mountain, in Arendelle. Big Ice Palace, you can't miss it, she's almost got the last shard," Jack said as quickly and succinctly as possible.

"Good," North nodded. "I will get the others."

The portal closed, and Jaime and Jack wasted no time in rushing up the staircase. The room at the top was beautiful, if either of them had taken time to notice. The Snow Queen was standing, looking outwards from a balcony on the far side of the room. Jaime spotted Sophie right away, playing on the icy floor with little chunks of ice.

"Sophie!" he cried, running over, and kneeling to hug her. She paid him no attention; too absorbed in playing with her cold toys. "Jack, she's so cold."

"Oh, good," said the Snow Queen, gliding over. "Someone always comes."

"Pretty lady!" Sophie said, looking up at her. The Snow Queen smiled, and she was Elsa.

"Yes, and I can see that your-" her eyes flicked to Jaime, "-brother loves you very much."

Jaime nodded, and Elsa raised her hands. The same thing that had happened with Cecilie played itself out in front of him. The shimmering magic drew the shard out, but before Elsa took it, Jack spoke.

"Don't, Elsa," he pleaded. "Let me do it, then we can-"

"No," she interrupted. "Get the children, and run. I know I may not survive this."

There was nothing more to say. Jack could see in her eyes that nothing that would sway her decision. She saw his acquiescence, and accepted the final piece of the mirror.

* * *

Elsa felt it, as it entered her heart. She had felt every sliver she'd ever taken, sharply slicing into her soul, ripping into all her good intentions, twisting everything into ugliness. She fought the cold climb of of the last piece, trying to hold off the inevitable completion of the mirror, and give Jack more time.

The mirror's image rose in her mind, overtaking and overpowering everything; frozen hate crept up her spine. She tried to fight it- after all, hadn't Jack said she could? If she knew her center. What was it? Nothing she could think of sounded right.

The final shard slid into place, and her heart hardened. The whisper of malice that had susurrated within her heart for so long now rang loud and clear. It urged her to spread this gift; to share the benefits of spitefulness. Everyone would be so much better off this way.

Troldin's cackling laugh echoed out in triumph. Elsa was no more. The Snow Queen's eyes looked over the world from the peak of North Mountain, shining reflections of resentment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaand yup, I think I'll end the chapter there! Muahahahaha!
> 
> Btw, if anyone's interested, I've taken the chapter titles from a lovely poem called 'Snow' by Eliza Cook.


	10. In The Thick of the Storm

Jaime on his back, hugging his neck, and Sophie wrapped in his arms, Jack obeyed Elsa's last words, rushing the two away from the Ice Palace. He wanted to go back up there, try and help Elsa, before she was lost to the mirror, but he had to leave Jaime and Sophie somewhere safe, even though his heart wrenched more the further from her he went.

Arendelle rose up in front of him, and he swooped into the main square. Occupied with his jumbled thoughts, he looked around frantically. Jaime was repeating his name, tugging on his sweater for his attention. Jack shook himself out of his fog.

"Jack! What was happening to the Snow Queen? You have to go back!"

"I will. I just need to make sure I leave you two somewhere safe."

"We can help!" Jaime blurted. "We helped last time, with Pitch, remember?"

"Not this time, buddy," Jack said, handing Sophie over to her brother.

"Fly again?" She asked innocently.

"Very soon," Jack assured her. "I'll be back later to take you home, but for-"

"Jack!" A familiar voice called. Jack smiled in relief at the girl in the patched overalls rocketing towards them. Cecilie tackle-hugged him, giggling.

"Oof," Jack winced. Jaime and Sophie watched curiously, waiting for an explanation.

"Cecilie, I need to go back up the mountain, now. This is Jaime and Sophie. Can they stay with you for a little while?" He spoke quickly, and Cecilie's expression became solemn, as she perceived how serious he was.

"The Snow Queen?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. You'll fix it," Cecilie nodded firmly, and Jack nearly laughed at the fierce, determined look on her naive face. Fixing it wasn't up to him, but he mustered an encouraging smile for them before vaulting back into the air, leaving the three children looking up at his retreating figure.

Cecilie stuck her hand out to Jaime.

"Cocoa?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Sophie cried out, still snuggled in Jaime's arms. Jaime smiled in agreement and took her hand.

* * *

Jack didn't make it very far. At the base of the mountain he looked up, craning his neck to see that the Ice Palace was surrounded by a blizzard of whirling snow that definitely didn't look natural, and he ran into something small and feathery, startling him so much he dropped the breeze that had been holding him in midair.

He flung his hands up to protect it as they tumbled into a snowdrift.

"Baby Tooth!" Jack exclaimed happily as he released her from his hands. Baby Tooth chattered and fluttered at him as he brushed the snow off himself. Jack shook his hair out, and finally saw what she was holding out for him. Two tooth boxes.

He slowly took them from her, inspecting the golden cases. One had an image of a young girl with white hair, very clearly Elsa, and the other had a little girl with strawberry blond hair in braids.

"Who's this?" Jack asked. Baby Tooth chirped at him.

"Her sister? Why do I need her sister's tooth memories?"

She shrugged and just gestured for him to open them. Tooth hadn't told her, apparently. Jack cautiously opened Elsa's tooth box, and the memories sparkled open, just like his own box had.

The first few were good: Elsa playing with her sister, Anna, creating snowmen and other fun things with her powers. Then, Jack saw the slip that made her accidentally hit her sister, the visit to the strange rock trolls, and her parents' lecture. He remembered what Elsa had said before, about having her powers while she was still alive.

" _What little good they did me then."_

Elsa was isolated, scared, and alone in her room for years. The closest she got to happy was when Anna knocked on her door asking to play, although she knew she never could.

Then the memories stopped.

Jack frowned at the tooth box. It hadn't been helpful at all. He had no idea what Elsa's center was. But Elsa… She'd been so solitary, for years and years. Jack knew what that felt like, very acutely, but she'd had to experience it when she was alive, too, before people had to believe to see her.

Something was nudging his arm, and he looked down to see Baby Tooth impatiently poking him with the other tooth box.

"Thanks, Baby Tooth. I guess that answers why I need these, too, huh?"

Anna's memories were brighter. She had been a very playful person. Jack watched eagerly as the sisters reunited on Elsa's coronation day. He totally agreed with Elsa's verdict on Hans (that dude rubbed him the wrong way), and then it all went wrong. Elsa lost control, and ran away, freezing the entire country as she did so.

Anna headed off to bring her back, meeting a (much nicer) guy and his reindeer, and a living snowman on the way, but she got hit by Elsa instead, who didn't seem to realize what she'd done. Then it was back to the rock trolls (with a whole song-and-dance routine this time), who said she needed 'true love' to fix her. Anna immediately thought of Hans. Jack thought it sounded weirdly like a fairy tale. He wasn't sure he bought it.

Hans turned out to be way dastardlier than he expected, but the snowman saved Anna, and then everyone somehow ended up running all over the iced fjorden. Anna froze into an ice statue, protecting her sister from Hans. Jack was horrified, but as Elsa cried over her frozen sister, she thawed, and was miraculously totally fine.

"Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?" He heard Elsa ask her sister.

"I love you," Anna said simply.

"An act of true love can thaw a frozen heart," Jack remembered, muttering it at the same time as the snowman. The funny rock trolls were right.

All the ice and snow around them began to melt under Elsa's outstretched hands as the memory faded out.

Baby Tooth was fluttering in front of him expectantly when he opened his eyes.

"Let's go, Baby Tooth," Jack smiled. "I think I've got it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, initially, I thought, oh yeah, Jack will basically just watch Frozen in Elsa's tooth box. But then I remembered that the tooth boxes are supposed to preserve childhood memories, and Elsa's supposed to be 21 during Frozen (really, look it up), which is way too late to be losing teeth, so I had to throw Anna's tooth box in there. She's supposed to be 18 during Frozen, but that's a little more stretchable. Anyway, any guesses what her center is? I feel like it's obvious, but I am the one writing this… And for the record: spell check told me dastardlier is a word. Who knew?


	11. The Deep Snowy Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written a whole lot of action scenes before, so I'm sorry ahead of time if they're not that great.

While Jack had been occupied with the memories, the snowstorm atop North Mountain had expanded, covering nearly the entire mountain, and it didn't look like it was slowing.

The snow was approaching like a giant white wall, but something seemed odd about the flakes. They were far too big to be ordinary snowflakes. Jack squinted at them in confusion.

"They're snow bees!" He gasped in realization, as one whizzed past him and he got a better look. The Snow Queen had created a giant blizzard of snow-bees. It would have been really impressive, if he wasn't worried about what exactly the bees were for.

Jack felt a sharp sting, and looked down to see another snow-bee flying off, and an icy stinger lodged in the skin on the back of his hand. He lifted it, slowly, to inspect it. His hand was starting to feel cold, the skin frosting over, and he felt an unaccountable stab of hatred.

Baby Tooth swooped in and tugged, hard, on the ice stinger. It came loose with a jerk, and she went tumbling back, wildly fluttering her wings to stabilize herself.

Jack shuddered, and squeezed his hand. The cold was already receding.

"Thanks," he said to Baby Tooth. "You alright?" She lilted a yes. "This is not good," he murmured, looking up at the swarm of snow-bees spreading down the mountain towards Arendelle and beyond.

A hint of gold caught his eye through the storm, and he peered closely, and saw it flash again.

"Sandy!" he cried. "This way, Baby Tooth!"

Jack charged in the direction of the Sandman's golden sand, Baby Tooth right behind him. As they approached the snow bee storm, he struck his staff on the snow-covered ground, kicking up a cloud. He twirled his staff, and the snow started whirling around them, forming a sphere around himself and the little tooth fairy, and keeping out the snow bees as they charged straight into the blizzard.

Their progress wasn't particularly fast, and the snow-sphere wasn't perfect, but Baby Tooth was surprisingly good at taking down the few snow bees that did get in.

It felt like hours that they slowly walked trudged along in their inverted snowglobe, but finally the mass of snow bees seemed to be thinning in front of them, and a steady golden glow was illuminating them. Suddenly, there was nothing pushing back against him, and Jack and Baby Tooth jolted forward through the gold.

Sandy was there, as expected, and the other Guardians, as well. Sandy was keeping up the golden net they had stumbled through, and he waved when he spotted Jack, and then gestured behind him at the other three indicatively. Jack frowned. North and Tooth were… fighting Bunny?

The pooka's boomerang was whirling around him, as he jumped about, fending off North's swords and Tooth's wings. A couple of Tooth's fairies nervously fluttered around her. Jack ran over, hoping one of them could explain why they were fighting each other, and noticed something odd about Bunny's fur.

Every inch of it appeared to be iced over, and Jack could see dozens of stingers scattered over him.

Jack and Baby Tooth exchanged a significant look. Bunny must have been the first to arrive, and been swarmed by the snow-bees.

"I'm so glad you're here," Tooth said, knocking the boomerang away, "Bunny just… attacked."

"It's not him, it's the snow bee stingers," Jack explained.

"Stingers?" yelled North, blocking a kick from Bunny's legs.

"Just keep him occupied!" Jack yelled back. He looked at Baby Tooth. "You got this?" She chattered affirmatively, and flew to the other tooth fairies. The three Guardians fought Bunny as the tooth fairies flew around him, plucking the multitude of stingers out of him.

When the last stinger was removed, Bunny staggered back from the fight, the layer of ice rapidly fading from his fur.

"Crikey," Bunny croaked, shaking his head, "What was that?"

"The Snow Queen," said Tooth, at the same time as Jack said, "Troldin."

"Well, which is it then?"

"Troldin's mirror is controlling Elsa," Jack said. "I've got to get up there, I know what her center is."

"Then, to the top!" North proclaimed, raising his sabres.

* * *

The Guardians, working together, moved much more quickly up the mountain through the snow-bee blizzard than Jack had by himself. He and Sandy kept up a constant barrier that kept almost all the snow bees out, and Tooth, North, Bunny, and the little tooth fairies competed to get the snow bees that managed to get through. North and Baby Tooth were neck and neck, when the blizzard abruptly disappeared.

Sandy and Jack relaxed, and they saw that they were at the bottom of Udholdenhed. Above it, the Ice Palace rose, and standing in front of the great icy doors, stood the Snow Queen. From her upraised hands streamed a constant flow of snow bees. She said nothing, and did not even appear to have noticed them, as they approached the bridge. Her cold eyes were fixed on something far away.

When they stepped foot on the bridge, five grotesque, goblin-like creatures sprung up at the top, and moved menacingly down towards them.

"Get to the queen, Jack!" North bellowed as he charged forward, Sandy by his side with a determined look.

"Go on, mate," Bunny said as he ran past, followed by Tooth, who was slapping her fist with her hand fiercely.

"We'll take care of them," she said, and Jack was very glad he wasn't a goblin right now.

Jack flew up as the other Guardians rushed up the stairs at the goblins, and landed gently in the snow in front of the Ice Palace.

"Elsa?" He tried calling up the her, heart pounding in his ears. "Elsa, it's me; it's Jack."

"That won't work," a putrid, greasy voice said.

It was another goblin-creature, his form as hideous as the others, but there was something else about him that made Jack want to run away, like a suffocating cloud of evil emanating from him.

"Troldin," Jack realized, and a horrible sound came from the repulsive troll, a horrible, cackling imitation of a laugh.

"Indeed," Troldin said, "and I'm delighted to tell you, your icy little girlfriend is breaking up with you. She's with me, now."

Jack looked at him in horror, and then frantically turned back to Elsa. He knew it wasn't true, that Elsa had to be in there somewhere, fighting the mirror.

"Elsa, listen to me, it's love," he said, stepping closer. Behind him, Troldin was laughing again.

"Your center, Elsa, it's love!" She had not budged, or even blinked. Jack felt tears rising in his own eyes at her unresponsiveness, but he refused to believe that she was lost. He slowly, carefully, placed his hand on her arm.

"Elsa," he tried again, and her flinty, icy eyes finally looked at him, catching his breath. She drew her arm back, and Jack called out, desperately, "I love you!"

The whip of snow that flung him off the mountain for the second time hurt his heart more than it did his body.


	12. What Bliss to Fall

_Elsa!_

_It's me, it's Jack!_

_Elsa, I love you!_

_Elsa… I love you…_

Somewhere deep inside, Elsa fought against the frozen fetters of hatred imprisoning her. Jack's last words reached her on a whisper, gently caressing her heart. She stopped struggling at the unexpected warmth the words brought.

_Jack loves me_ , she thought. _Oh, Jack, I… I love you, too._

The fluttering of the new feeling bloomed slowly within her. She started to feel again, gradually regaining her senses. Elsa saw what she was doing, the multiplying snow-bees being sent out to sting everyone into unkindness, but she couldn't bring herself to stop. The mirror was too strong.

Somewhere below, their sweet voices blown up to her on a breeze, Elsa could hear children singing, about fair roses, blooming in meadows and valleys. A memory unfurled, herself and Anna, singing the same song together with their parents, so long ago.

And then, she knew her center. It was love! She'd known before, all those years ago, when she was alive. It was what had saved Anna from an icy death, melted the ice in the fjorden, and how she had at last mastered her powers. It had always been love.

Elsa closed her eyes, and focused on all the things she loved, letting love suffuse her. The mirror fought her for control, fighting mercilessly, but Elsa was relentless. Enmity and malice would not win today. The Snow Queen would not allow it.

Elsa flushed out all the repulsive feelings that the mirror contained with one final rally, and felt her mind clear, finally set free.

She slowly lowered her arms, halting the stream of snow-bees. All around, however, the ones she had already created were flying away in droves to sting people with hate.

Troldin did not notice her distraction, too engaged in jeering and encouraging his goblin servants that were battling the Guardians on the bridge. Elsa looked around, and felt overwhelmed by how much damage she'd created, but she tried to compose herself, and took a hitching breath, letting it out gradually.

Love, she reminded herself. She could fix this.

Extending her hand, she splayed her fingers, and concentrated, allowing the feeling of love, her power, to fill her, and everywhere the the snow-bees vanished, with a snowflake and a sparkle, and the hate-filled stingers also dissipated harmlessly. Those who had been stung stopped their quarreling as they returned to themselves.

"What are you doing?" Troldin barked, having finally noticed that things weren't going according to his plan. The snow-bees had nearly all vanished, and Elsa was smiling, those long-unused muscles stretching gratefully. She didn't answer him until all the snow-bees were gone.

"You thought I was as cold as my winter powers."

"But you are, my dear Elsa," Troldin whimpered, his pathetic attempt at flattery falling very short. "Look at you, with my mirror to guide you, you truly are the Snow Queen."

"No," Elsa laughed, and she moved toward him. He backed down the steps warily. "My true center is love, not this vile resentment you try to force upon me."

She stopped, focusing for a moment, and pulled free the mirror.

"Noooooo!" Troldin cried.

"I wonder," Elsa deliberated, walking closer. Troldin nervously stepped back, unwittingly moving closer to the mountain's edge. "Have you never looked at yourself in it?"

The goblins and the Guardians had stopped fighting now, all watching the tense exchange. Troldin, up against the drop, apparently could not find anything to say. Elsa slowly turned the suspended mirror.

Troldin took one glance and shrieked, shriveling away, and slapping his hand over his eyes. He took one, two, three steps, and tumbled back into the abyss, screaming in agony. The goblins on the bridge yelped at the fall of their repugnant overlord, and leapt after him.

When their wailing could no longer be heard, the Guardians cheered. Elsa eyed them uncertainly, not sure of her welcome, but that was quickly resolved.

"Snow Queen!" North beamed, throwing his arms wide. "So good to meet you!"

"It's Elsa, please," Elsa said warmly. "And you must be North… Tooth, Bunny, Sandy, and Baby Tooth!" She said, pointing at each of them, and laughing as Baby Tooth fluttered and zipped around her.

"Jack's told me- Jack!" Elsa gasped, remembering what she'd done. "I threw him off the mountain!"

"Not for the first time, yes?" North laughed, and Elsa blushed. "He will be fine!"

"Who's fine?" Jack's voice called out, and they all looked up to see him swooping in on a breeze.

"Speak of the devil," Bunny muttered, without any real venom.

"Elsa, you did it!" He said, landing neatly next to her. Elsa was too happy to speak, relieved she hadn't hurt him.

"Oooh, you two are sooooo cute," squealed Tooth. Elsa blushed, again, and sneaked a peek at Jack to see that he was a little pink around the ears, as well.

"Yeaugh," said Bunny. "Can we get back to business? What are we gonna do about the mirror?"

Everyone looked at it, still floating innocently in midair, suspended by Elsa's magic.

"You don't have to do anything," she said.

"Of course we do!" Bunny said indignantly. "It's an evil mirror!"

"Not anymore, it's completely normal now, look!" Elsa flipped the mirror around toward them, and they all cautiously leaned in.

"Oh, Elsa," sighed Tooth, "it's so beautiful."

"It's just a mirror now, I didn't really do anything," Elsa demurred. "I just took all the hate out."

"No, it's more than that," Jack told her, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her over to see for herself.

Elsa breathed a soft _'oh',_ as she caught a glimpse. Tooth was right. It wasn't just a normal mirror. Everyone seemed more beautiful in it, like their loving souls were shining through.

"It is the mirror of love now!" North exclaimed. It was true; Elsa could see it. All of the Guardians had so much love naturally in their hearts (even Bunny, no matter his his grumpy front), and the mirror let it show.

"So, Troldin really did see his true self," Elsa wondered aloud. She hadn't really known what she was doing when she made Troldin look in the mirror; it had just been a feeling she'd had.

"North?" Tooth asked, "Could we, maybe, make Elsa an honorary Guardian?"

"Oh, er, well, she… is a Guardian?" A general exclamation arose. "I can explain, I can explain," North waved his hands for attention. "Man in Moon chose her, a long time ago, but we could not make her one until the mirror's influence was gone." Everyone nodded as that explanation sunk in.

"So!" North turned to Elsa. "Will you be a Guardian?"

Elsa wasn't sure what to say. It sounded like a great honor, and responsibility, and she wasn't sure that she was ready, or totally qualified for it, even if it did sound like something she wanted very much. North, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny were all looking at her expectantly. Jack caught her eye, smiling reassuringly, and that decided it.

"What do I need to do?"

North dramatically produced a giant, leather-bound, engraved book from his coat, flipped it open, and cleared his throat.

"Will you, Elsa, Snow Queen, vow to watch over the children of the world?

To guard them with your life, their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams.

For they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be."

"I will," she said firmly, and all the Guardians applauded. Sandy sent up golden fireworks, the tooth fairies twirled and twittered happily, North drew some elves from another pocket that played little trumpets enthusiastically, and Jack hugged Elsa and spun her around.

Elsa was still laughing when Jack stopped spinning and set her down. She gazed breathlessly into Jack's crystal-blue eyes, waiting, the moment seeming to suspend itself in a bubble.

"Oh no," he said, turning to the other Guardians, "I forgot about Jaime and Sophie!"


	13. Rejoice in it Still

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final installment! It's not very long, but according to my sister, this will make you all feel 'very warm and fuzzy inside.'

"Elsa, what's that snow-bee doing?"

"Shhh," Elsa giggled, pushing his hand down from where it was pointing. "Just watch."

Bunny didn't notice the approaching snow-bee as he 'reluctantly' played with Sophie. The bee gently landed on his head, and didn't appear to do anything, before flying away. Bunny, however, abruptly scooped up Sophie in his arms, planted kisses all over her head, and danced around singing, to no apparent tune, "You are adorable, and I love you!"

Elsa and Jack didn't even bother holding back their laughter, and Sandy, North, and Tooth were soon laughing as well, and shaking their heads at the mischievous pair.

They were in the Ice Palace, now. All the Guardians had gone with Jack to get Sophie and Jaime, and had found them with Cecilie. Empty hot cocoa mugs were found on the table, and the three children were singing and playing on Cecilie's piano. Well, Cecilie was playing. Sophie was sitting on one end of the bench and 'helping' Cecilie play, and Jaime was turning her music pages.

Sophie and Jaime hadn't wanted to go home, of course, and Cecilie had insisted that Jack owed her a trip up to see the Ice Palace.

None of the Guardians were particularly good at saying no to children. Especially when they turned big, pleading eyes on them. So, they all went to the Ice Palace. Elsa didn't mind at all. It had been so long since her palace had filled with so many happy voices.

"What exactly did the bee do?" Jack asked her, after their laughter had died down enough for them to speak.

"Helped him show a little extra love," Elsa explained. "Bees don't just sting people, you know. They also make honey."

He nodded, but then, all of a sudden, he seemed to withdraw a little, and when he glanced at her, he looked uncertain. Elsa wasn't sure what to make of it, but she was afraid that something was very wrong.

"What is it, Jack?" She whispered, hesitantly.

"Did-did you hear me?" He twirled his staff back and forth in his hands restlessly. Elsa was confused.

"Of course I hear you, I'm not deaf." Jack wasn't even looking at her anymore, his eyes fixed on his spinning staff.

"I meant, on the mountain," he mumbled quietly, "before you threw me off."

"Oh," Elsa sighed, at once relieved and flustered. She twisted her hands nervously, but before she could say anything to reassure him, he was babbling.

"I'm sorry, it probably made you uncomfortable, and it was a really bad time, and way too soon, and we've only known each other, for, what, like a week, I think?" Elsa giggled, and Jack stopped his tirade to gape at her. She took advantage of the moment to grab the neck of his sweater and kiss him, soundly.

When they broke apart, Elsa, with a triumphant smirk, said, "I love you too, Jackson Overland Frost." Jack smiled back at her, with that big, toothy grin that she loved.

A loud whistle broke into their little bubble, and they both jumped and looked around.

Everyone had been watching them. North had been responsible for the interruption, and he was laughing his big, full-bellied chuckle. Tooth was sighing happily, and her tooth fairies around her were all doing the same. Bunny was rolling his eyes, pretending to be disgusted, but he _was_ smiling. Sandy had a contented grin on his face, and was sending little golden hearts zooming all over the room. Cecilie, Jaime, and Sophie were jumping up and down and clapping, although Elsa wasn't pretty sure Sophie didn't understand what they were celebrating.

Elsa smiled fondly at her new friends, happy to have people around her to love. She snagged Jack's hand, and intertwined their fingers. She could feel all the love between them, and the love from their friends around them, comforting her, like a soft blanket of fresh snow. She gathered it all up, and flung her arm in the air, and with a shimmering explosion, love tumbled back down as snow.

Yes, she thought, as the children danced happily in the flurry, she was Elsa, the Snow Queen, Guardian of love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


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